The story of the Irish Spice Bag: Ireland’s favourite takeaway
If you ask someone outside Ireland to name an Irish dish, they’ll probably say Irish stew or soda bread.
Ask someone in Ireland what they’re ordering on a Friday night, however, and there’s a good chance the answer is much simpler:
“A spice bag.”
Crispy chips. Salt and chilli chicken. Fried onions and peppers. A generous shake of seasoning. Maybe a tub of curry sauce on the side.
It’s not fine dining.
It’s not traditional Irish cooking.
But somehow, the spice bag has become one of Ireland’s most beloved modern comfort foods.
What is a Spice Bag?
For the uninitiated, an Irish spice bag is a takeaway dish typically made with crispy chips, shredded salt and chilli chicken, fried onions, red and green peppers, fresh chillies and a generous blend of spices, all served in a paper bag.
It’s most commonly found in Chinese takeaways across Ireland, although you’ll now spot variations everywhere from traditional chippers to gastropubs.
Where did the Spice Bag come from?
Like many great food stories, there are plenty of theories about who invented the spice bag.
The most widely accepted origin comes from research carried out by RTÉ Radio reporter Liam Geraghty.
According to his investigation, the spice bag was created by staff at the Sunflower Chinese takeaway in Templeogue, Dublin, sometime around 2006. After long shifts cooking Chinese food, the team wanted something different to eat themselves. Using ingredients they already had in the kitchen, they combined crispy chicken, chips, peppers, onions and their own seasoning into a paper bag for an easy staff meal.
Friends tried it.
They asked for it again.
Soon it appeared on the menu.
The rest is Irish takeaway history.
By 2012, the spice bag had appeared on Just Eat for the first time. Within a few years it had spread to Chinese takeaways and chippers across the country, becoming one of Ireland’s most recognisable fast-food dishes.
More than a takeaway
What makes the spice bag so interesting isn’t just what’s inside it.
It’s what it represents.
Like the breakfast roll or chicken fillet roll before it, the spice bag is a uniquely Irish invention shaped by the cultures that have become part of modern Ireland.
Chinese-Irish cuisine has been part of Irish life for decades, and the spice bag is perhaps its most famous creation. It takes influences from Chinese cooking, adds a generous helping of Irish takeaway culture, and creates something entirely its own.
From local favourite to Irish icon
The rise of the spice bag has been remarkable.
It has been voted Ireland’s favourite takeaway dish, earned a cult following online, inspired cookbooks and supermarket products, and even found its way onto menus in Irish pubs and restaurants overseas. The dish was also added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2025, reflecting its place in modern Irish culture.
Today, it’s something many Irish people miss when they move abroad.
Like Tayto crisps, Club Orange or a proper chicken fillet roll, the spice bag has become part of what reminds people of home.
A modern piece of Irish culture
At SLÁN, we’re fascinated by the things that make Ireland, well… Ireland.
Sometimes that’s the Irish language.
Sometimes it’s a meaningful Irish phrase passed down through generations.
And sometimes it’s a takeaway so iconic that almost everyone on the island has their favourite local spot.
Not every symbol of Irish culture has to be ancient.
Some become part of our shared identity because they’re woven into everyday life.
The spice bag is one of them.
Meet the healthiest Spice Bag you’ll ever have
To celebrate one of Ireland’s greatest culinary creations, we’ve created our own Spice Bag Irish Tote Bag.
Inspired by the instantly recognisable Spice Bag seasoning, it’s a playful tribute to an Irish classic - without a single chip in sight.
Made from durable cotton in SLÁN’s signature style, it’s roomy enough for shopping, work, books or everyday essentials, with a practical inside pocket to keep everything organised.
It’s a spice bag… bag.
Whether you’re treating yourself or searching for a unique Irish gift that goes beyond the usual clichés, it’s a fun way to celebrate a piece of modern Irish culture.
Shop the Spice Bag Irish Tote Bag and carry a little taste of Ireland wherever you go.
